Valve cooling mechanism



March 1947- 7 w. B. BRONAND R. I v 2, 16,866

VALVE COOLING MECHANISM Filed 001:. 24/ 1944 INVENTOR 2 BY i I ATTORNEY 2 Patented Mar. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to internal combustion engines.

In internal combustion engines, and particularly in aircraft engines which are operated under high compression and at high speed, tremendous amounts of heat are developed. This has resulted in burning out the oil or lubricant which lubricates the exhaust valve stems, thereby causing the valves to freeze.

This invention has for its salient object to provide means for cooling the valve stem guides or bushings, thereby eliminating freezing of the valves.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part of this application, and in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of valve mechanism having cooling means constructed in accordance with the invention; and i Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cooling fin unit and surrounding parts, parts being shown in section.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, there is shown a cylinder head ll] of any suitable construction having a combustion chamber l I into which open the intake and exhaust valves. An exhaust valve seat [2 is mounted in the exhaust port and an exhaust valve head I 3 seats on the valve seat I2. The head I3 is carried by a valve stem M which is reciprocatably mounted in a valve guide or bushing I 5 which is mounted in an opening in the cylinder head.

Any suitable spring valve closing means may be provided, such as that shown at I6 and IT.

The valve stem 14 has an outer head or abutment 20 which is operated in the usual manner by a rocker 2 I.

The cylinder head 16 has formed therein a recess 22 which extends for a portion of the length of the valve guide or bushing l5 and receives a cooling fin unit 25. This unit comprises a plurality of cooling fins 26 and spacers 21 which are assembled together to form a unit. The fins and spacers have formed therein openings 28 to receive the valve guide l5 and the fin unit is disposed in efiicient heat conducting contact with the outer wall of the valve guide. The unit is held in place by a flange 29 on the guide I 5. Each fin 26 has at its outer lateral edges flanges 30 which bridge the space between the fins and hold the fins in spaced relation. The outer edge of the fins are also held in spaced relation by a sleeve 3! mounted on abolt 32 carried by the head Ill. The sleeve has spacing slots 33.

It should be noted that the opening 22 in which the fin unit is mounted is flared at the lateral edges of the fins and is spaced at the inner edges of the fins to provide adequate air circulation and prevent heat conduction from the head to the fins. The air circulation through the fins is indicated by arrows in Fig. 2.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a valve stem, a valve stem guide, and a cooling fin unit in heatconducting contact with the guide and comprising a plurality of spaced fins having flanges at the outer portions of the lateral free edges thereof forming spacers between the fins, the outer edges of the fins being substantially unobstructed and having free access to the cooling air.

'2. In an internal combustion engine, a valve stem, a valve stem guide, and a cooling fin unit in heat conducting contact with the guide and comprising a plurality of spaced fins, means surrounding the guide for holding the fins in spaced relation, and means at the outer edges of the fins for holding the fins in spaced relation, said outer edges of the fins being substantially unobstructed and havingfree access to the cooling air.

WILHELM B. BRONANDER.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 784,636 Smith Mar. 14, 1905 2,327,259 Gay Aug. 17, 1943 1,655,149 Lee Jan. 3, 1928 1,351,950 Gaston Sept. 7, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 412,481 British June 28, 1934 536,999 British June 4, 1941 357,862 British Oct. 1, 1931' 127,856 British June 19, 1919 316,209 German Nov. 22, 1919 

